


On matters of the heart

by Beginning_Returner



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Comfy philosophizing, From two immortals, Gen, Just a normal father-daughter discussion over breakfast, Title is a bad pun because porridge is also good for the heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 05:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17197787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beginning_Returner/pseuds/Beginning_Returner
Summary: In which Nina and Francis discuss the vagaries of immortal existence over breakfast.A small matter in one ofstirringwinds postspiqued my interest and I felt I had to write something in reply. Big shoutout tokisamesfacioplegiafor creating an APH Europe character in the first place. I've given her character a different name, hope you don't mind. My tungle inbox is always open for discussion on name headcanons, though!





	On matters of the heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stirringwinds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stirringwinds/gifts), [Hashilavalamp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hashilavalamp/gifts).



Nina's first breakfast at Papa Francis' table was a memorable one.

She'd taken one look at the spread of jam and breads and declaimed: "But where's the porridge?"

"We don't eat that for breakfast here, chérie."

"Well, that's stupid. I miss my oats and red groats already. Uncle Gilbert and I picked the berries for that together, you know." So saying, she rung the table bell for the maid before Papa could voice a single objection.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to have any porridge oats in the larder?" She asked politely when the maid appeared at her elbow. "Other grains are fine too, I've had all sorts of kasha and it's all tasty."

The maid glimpsed her master's irked expression, but managed to keep a straight face until she was below stairs.

When she reappeared, it was with a disappointed expression. "No my little one, I'm afraid we do not."

"Oh. Well then, box cereal is alright too. I'm sure you have some of that."

When it was produced, Nina immediately reached for the hot milk Francis was about to put in his coffee and poured most of it in her bowl. "If I'm going to eat this, might as well have it with hot milk like Uncle Antonio." Seeing his face, she immediately rung for the maid again. "I think you'd better cook a big pot of hot milk, because I'm very hungry and liable to have quite a lot, and Papa Francis likes it too. Sorry to make you work so hard-- I'll come downstairs later and help you shop for some porridge."

Nina ate five heaping bowls of flaky bran that day, and the house staff was unanimous in the opinion that they hadn't had this much fun in ages.

Francis, meanwhile, didn't like being outmanoeuvred, but realized he had no choice in the matter if the joint custody agreement over Europe's incarnation with Ludwig was to function at all. He sighed. He'd never been particularly good with children, and now he was going to have to raise the most rambunctious one this region had seen since- well, _he_ was born, at least.

 

* * *

 

So honestly, Francis should have anticipated that today would be no different.

But he was too busy.

Busy contemplating how on earth he was going to explain to the new culture minister that one of the most popular poster children for the European Culture Committee was an immortal, and that her publicity agent was actually him. They'd get their posters promoting inter-European cultural understanding one way or another, but he might have to get out the smelling salts first.

Also busy thinking about last night, when L had come over to deliver Nina. And kisses. So many kisses. Why the one on his inner thigh still burned beautifully right now.

"Papa Francis?"

"Mmm?"

He couldn't _wait_ until the next conference.

"Why are you always telling me not to fall in love?"

Glump! Francis swallowed his coffee the wrong way, and the sound he produced next was so like a frog he was desperately glad Arthur wasn't here to hear it. That fellow was exiled from his bedchamber due to silly behaviour for the conceivable future anyway.

"Beg pardon, darling?"

"Why is it that whenever I go to a conference, you keep telling me not to fall in love with any of the other nations? I thought it was just a joke when you said it before my first ESA meeting, but you've been saying it _every time_ since then."

"Well darling, love turns to hate very quickly between us. You should know that well. I just wish to spare you that pain."

Nina frowned. "First off, I'm not even old enough to really fall in love yet, so that's thinking a bit far ahead, I'd say. Papa Ludwig was about a hundred, and Gilbert two hundred when they first fell in love. And second of all, normal people fall in love all the time, even when they know things might go badly."

"Yes darling, but having to face someone who was once your enemy and your dearest friend before that--"

"Oh come on." Nina took a heaping spoonful of porridge and continued. "How is that any different from the woman who has to see her ex in the office she works at every day?"

"It happens all the time in stories too. Carmen fell in love, and she was betrayed. Uncle Felix took me to see the new version, remember? Where she decides she doesn't have to die for love after all. I like that much better. Sappho really shouldn't have hurled herself off that old cliff for a boy. She could have just gotten herself a new girlfriend. Why didn't any of the people who loved her stop her?"

"That's a legend, you know."

"Oh thank goodness. Maybe she lived happily after all."

"Yes but darling, but you can't always live happily when you're an immortal."

" _SO WHAT_! People do it all the time, they chose to fall in love, because love is important. and love is worth the risk. Besides, that's AWFULLY big talk from someone who's been in love for OVER A THOUSAND YEARS with the idiot uncle who is giving me daily migraines."

"Darling--"

"Don't you darling me!" She stared at her porridge and decided it needed more maple syrup immediately. "Papa, I know you're worried about me. But I do need to grow up sometime." She mixed the syrup in vigorously. "Uncle Gilbert told me he thinks a lot of bad things ended up happening because he tried to protect Papa Ludwig from everything too much."

She slid down from her chair and trotted over to Francis. "I mean hey, I know growing up hurts from my headaches already. But I have to do it sometime. Because everyone seems to compare me to Grandfather Karl, but I'm not him."

Francis sighed heavily. "Alright my dear. I'll try not to be so reprimanding."

Nina smiled. "You're already way better than Ludwig that way." (But Gilbert is _even better_ , she thought but didn't say.)

Francis opened his arms for a conciliatory hug, which she gladly accepted.

"By the way, did you acquire some of my son's parlance along with the maple syrup last time he visited? I don't remember teaching you to say "hey"."

The only answer he got was Nina tickling his sides until he fell out of the elaborate Empire chair and onto the carpet.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Carmen:** See [here](http://news.trust.org/item/20180103181731-3nm1m/).
> 
> My blog [is right here](https://modoru-mono.tumblr.com/). I mostly post history and archaeology with a smattering of good Hetalia. Feel free to give me a yell on ask or messenger over there if you enjoyed the fic!


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